A Love like Ours
by kailunthecat
Summary: The war is over. The wizarding society as we have known it have been left in ruins. Hermione, Ron, Neville,Luna and Seamus have been recruited as aurors for the Ministry of Magic, Harry has been emotionally blackmailed into being the ministry's poster boy, and Draco's on the run. What will it take for them to see what path they should follow or rather who? Draco/Hermione, Ron/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Terri sat outside the coffeeshop with a book and a cup of coffee at her side. She sighed filled with contentment. She couldn't believe she found this place! It was exactly the type of place everyone dreamed of finding in Paris. It was a small coffeeshop/bookstore. The selection of books was small, but impressive. There was even a small collection of English translated books by French literary heavyweights such as Alexander Dumas and Victor Hugo.

Tragedy had forced Terri to leave America and build a life for herself overseas. She was doing well for herself. She hadn't found a job yet, which was okay since she was independently wealthy. The first few months had been hard, but she was slowly rebuilding herself and her life. She was even writing again. When she was little she had always dreamed of Paris! Her aunt had told her all about the Harlem Renaissance and how all of the greatest black American writers had gone to Paris. How they fell in love with the city and how a lot of them never came back to America. That was how it was going to be for her, she was going to have her own private Renaissance and it was going to start in Paris!

There was only one problem with Terri's plan. She didn't speak French. Not even a little bit. If she was going to live in Paris that was going to be a major problem. She hired a private tutor instead of taking a class. She didn't like being surrounded by people. Armand was perfect. He was an linguistics major at _ University. He spoke French, English and Spanish, the latter two almost fluently. And he was blessedly level headed. If there was one thing that annoyed Terri to no end it was _emotions_. The problem was that school was in session, so that he was only available once a week. He assigned as much work as he thought she could handle and he usually called her sometime during the middle of the week to see how she was getting along, but it still wasn't enough. At least not for Terri, but it was all that could be done at present.

Terri looked up from her book and out at the city landscape before her. Terri realized that the countless people that say that there is nothing like Paris in the spring are absolutely right. That's when they walked past her, rapidly speaking English with their cloaks flowing behind them. Honestly, she was a bit annoyed at the sight of _them._ "Hey, Red!" Terri yelled. They all stopped and turned to look at her. "Put your wand away. There are children around." They stared each other down for a moment before he put his wand inside his cloak and she turned her attention back to Edmund's escape from prison and her coffee. They were making enough noise in HER coffeeshop to wake the dead, but she did her best to ignore it. She was thoroughly engrossed in her book when Armand showed up.

"How's your French?"He asked taking the seat opposite of her.

"Just as bad as it was last week," she replied not looking up from _The Count of Monte Cristo_. Edmund had just been tossed into a watery grave!

"It's not going to get any better unless you start talking to people," Armand retorted while taking out last week's graded assignments.

"You know I don't like people!" she said in mock offense, even though it was kind of true.

"Yes, that's why your French sounds like bad Spanish. In addition to this week's assignment, you will have a conversation with three people in _French_ and write a report on them. And don't just make them up," Armand stated.

"Come on! Isn't that what I pay you for?" She retorted.

"You pay me for my expertise and my advice. Now, take my advice," Armand answered finally looking up from the cluster of papers that surrounded him." I'm going to get a cup of coffee. I'll be right back."

At that moment, the five cloaked figures exited the coffeeshop. From the look on their faces, they didn't find what they were looking for. Terri had finally folded down her page in _The Count of Monte Cristo_ and was taking out her French notebook along with that week's assignment, when she felt someone's intense gaze on her. She looked up to find two blue eyes bearing down on her.

"Excuse me Miss, may I have a word?" The red haired man in the cloak asked.

At that moment, Armand had returned and taken his seat. "Of course, lead the way. Armand would you excuse me for a moment?" She asked. Armand raised an eyebrow at the man's strange attire, but that's all. She was lead over to the entrance of an alleyway where the other cloaked figures stood.

"Now Miss, we're looking for a man—"The red haired man began in a crisp tone before she cut him off.

"Sir, where I come from it's considered rude to start interrogating someone before you've introduced yourself," she stated.

A look of impatience crossed his faced before he said, "Right. My name is Ronald Weasley. I'm an auror with the Ministry of Magic in the United Kingdom. These are my constituents."

Cops. She figured as much. She could always tell, magical or run-of-the-mill. It was a good skill to have especially when she was in college.

"We are looking for a war criminal by the name of Draco Malfoy. He's wanted for questioning…." It wasn't what he was saying that caught Terri's attention it was how he said the name, Draco Malfoy. His voice changed it was full of animosity when he said it. Terri could feel the years of rivalry and hatred as if they were taking place before her, right then and there. Whoever, this Draco Malfoy was Ronald Weasley was the wrong man to send after him. This is why Terri didn't like people, because she would come across something like this and she wouldn't be able to help herself she had to get involved. That's when she noticed how young they all were. None of them looked even a year her senior.

"Does this Ministry of Magic of yours, usually send pups straight out of the academy after war criminals?" Terri asked eyeing them suspiciously. Ron turned beat red with anger and a bit of confusion. Before he could say anything; however, one of his colleagues stepped forward. She had thick wavy brown hair that was pulled back out of her face.

"Miss, my name is Hermione Granger and I can assure you that we are quite capable of our job. We are veterans in the War against the Dark Forces and now we are trying to rebuild our society, but we can't do that until certain people are held accountable."

"Times of peace are not time times of war and you shouldn't send warriors to do the jobs of diplomats," Terri started, but Ron jumped in again.

"Look, have you seen him or not?" He asked his patience clearly at an end.

Terri couldn't help herself; she had to mess with him. Is this guy you're looking for tall? Just under six feet? With blond, almost white hair. A bit pretentious?"

"Yes! Yes!" Ron yelled with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Haven't seen him," Terri replied with a shrug.

"We can make you tell us," Ron stated taking a threatening step forward. He had gone too far and soon realized it. His companions silenced weighed on him.

"Do I look scared, Mr. Weasley?" Terri asked. She didn't really expect an answer, but he surprised her, when he shook his head no. "A wise man would ask himself why that is," She stated before she turned and walked back to her table.

The race was on. She had to find this Draco Malfoy before they did. In hindsight, she probably should have resisted teasing him. Now, they think she knows where he is, but hindsight in this case was useless.


	2. Chapter 2

"You shouldn't have threatened her like that, Ron," Hermione stated as they watched Terri walk away. Ron didn't say anything, he just apparated back to the office. At least they assumed that's where he went.

"Hermione," Neville started slowly. "He knows that."

"Why couldn't he have known it two minutes ago, before he pissed off the only solid lead we've had in months," Hermione yelled, before she too disappeared.

Neville, Luna, and Seamus were use to scenes like the one that had just played out. It seemed like the only thing that Ron and Hermione seemed to do those days was argue. Neville leaned against the wall and reflected on how fragile the balance of the golden trio really was. Neville couldn't decide whether it would have been better or worse if Harry was there with them. Everybody except Harry knew that the tension was there, it was palpable. You could almost taste it. Neville didn't understand why they tried to hide it from Harry, as if Harry was there child or something. Neville was brought out of his musings by Seamus.

"You know, he was right… We could…" Seamus started, struggling to find the words.

"No, we couldn't," Neville said trying to put an end to that nonsense before it went any further. "It's against the law and for good reason."

"She knows who he is. She's obviously helping him," Seamus begun.

"Why? Because she knows what he looks like? Because she recognized his name? Don't jump to conclusions, Seamus. We don't know anything yet," Neville stated with finality.

"Magic wouldn't work on her," Luna said. They had almost forgotten that she was there.

"And why is that, Luna?" Seamus asked sarcastically.

However, Luna didn't seem to notice. "She's being protected."

That got both Seamus and Neville's attention. "Dark magic?" They asked almost simultaneously.

"No, not magic," Luna replied.

Seamus had heard enough. He apparated right then and there. He never understood Luna and he never would. _Not magic,_ he thought to himself. _Ridiculous._

"Luna," Neville begun. "Only magic can stop magic."

"There are other forces in this world that are just as powerful as magic. We don't understand them so we call them magic too. Like love. Love isn't magic, it's something else entirely. We just call it magic." She paused for a moment and then picked up a crumpled piece of paper off the ground. She looked Neville in the eye, placed the paper in his hand, and said, "This piece of paper is magic." Then she too apparated.

Neville understood what she meant. Calling something magic didn't make it magic. However, that didn't change the fact that the only thing he had ever seen stop magic was magic. Neville looked down the street, at the coffeeshop where Terri was having her French lesson. _The next_ _couple of days are going to be very interesting,_ he thought to himself.

_Why did she have to do that?_ Ron thought to himself. He and Hermione were done. They were both just too stubborn to admit it. Nothing had been the same between them since the smoke had settled and they had started to rebuild their world. As much as it hurt him to admit it, it was Harry that held them together. Harry and Harry's prophesy. Now that it had come to an end. It ALL had come to an end. Now, there he was Team Leader to a bunch of aurors he was sitting in potions class with two years before. _Has it only been two years?_ _Hell, it feels like 20._ Hermione didn't think that he should be Team Leader. She never said it, but he saw it. He saw it in her eyes. He was just as shocked as she was when Kingsley chose him. When he was chosen over her. He didn't expect her to be happy about it, but he did hope she would support him. However, that didn't happen.

Ron found himself missing the old days. Sure, they were dark, but life seemed to have made sense then. He knew who the bad guys were. He knew who his friends were. And he knew exactly what he was working towards. Now, there was certainty in nothing. Now, he was estranged from his two best friends. This was exactly the type of situation he would have asked Hermione for her advice on, but there was no more going to Hermione for help. Not now and probably not ever.

Ron decided to stop sulking. Sulking never got anything done. He had learned that over the past ten years if nothing else. He needed a plan that would end in coffeeshop girl telling them what she knows about Draco Malfoy. And not just any plan, a good one, because he knew Hermione would be ready with every 'I' dotted and every 't' crossed.

_Once again, I'm the bad guy! _Hermione thought to herself. She felt like she was walking on eggshells whenever she was around him. _Since when is it a crime to criticize._ What did he expect her to do? Agree to every one of his idiotic decisions. Hermione, if pressed would admit to being disappointed by Kingsley's decision not to make her Team Leader, but she accepted it or else she wouldn't have been there. However, Ron was acting like she was plotting to take away his favorite toy.

Ron. It was becoming harder and harder to remember what she saw in him in the first place. She did remember that there was a point in time where she found passion and zeal appealing and his willing to rush head first into situation brave. Now, she had come to realize that the passion she had once found so appealing clouded his judgment and his willingness to rush into situations was dangerous and stupid. How could it be that she had once considered spending her entire life with that man? Ron, he had good qualities too. She knew that, but as time went on they were becoming less and less apparent to her. In all honesty, she missed their friendship, but she didn't think that they could go back to that. You could never go back, right?

Hermione scanned the bookshelf for something useful. She pulled out one book on American wizarding society and another on squibs in America. There was no book on how the War against the Dark Forces affected America though. She would have to go out and look for one. Hermione liked the strange squib, they met that day. The girl didn't trust easily and that was something Hermione could relate to. Hermione was weary of people who trusted too easily. Either they were easily deceived or they were trying to deceive someone else. Hermione picked up the book on American wizarding society first. Whether or not, she like the girl was irrelevant. The girl had information they needed and it was her job to extract that information.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A squib is defined as a person with little or no magical ability that is born to people with magical ability. Terri was a squib and she fell into the little magical ability category. Non-magical people would call her psychic and some would even call her lucky, but she knew the truth. She had the residue of magic floating around in her DNA and destroying her life. You see, Terri could sense people's emotions through their words and feel them. When the emotions were particularly strong she could even 'see' what had created them. That was how she knew what Draco Malfoy looked like. She saw their years of boyhood rivalry, she saw the different paths they had taken during the war (through Ron's eyes of course), and she saw the negative toll these negative emotions were taking on Ron. Strangely enough people liked to hold on to their negative emotions. They thought that the people they were angry with deserved their anger, contempt, or hostility. Or that their pain was a reminder of a lesson they should remember. Terri wished that people could just let these things go. Let it ALL go.

The _feeling_ of other people's emotions wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was what she was doing now. It was what she couldn't stop herself from doing. When a person had particularly strong negative emotions, the kind which enable her to see the cause of them, she had to get involved. It was a compulsion. If she didn't try to help them, it would feel like hundreds of bees were buzzing in her head non-stop. She had to help. It was the only way she could make it go away. When she was younger, her aunt took her to see a doctor and she was diagnosed with an acute form of OCD. She was given medicine and sent on her way. However, the medicine didn't help. Only one thing helped and she was doing it. Luckily, she tended not to run into people with such dense emotional baggage very often, but she would prefer never to run into these people at all.

It wasn't all bad. Positive emotions were hands down the best thing in the world. They were rejuvenating. They were good for you. They were _healing._ When she came across a cry of joy… well, nothing could mess up her day after that. The best one was when people felt joy through giving. It was that feeling you get when you do something that is completely and utterly selfless to bring someone else happiness. The joy of generosity could leave her feeling euphoric for a week. Strong positive emotions also helped to block out the negative one for a short period of time. However, positive weren't as frequent as negative ones.

There he was, Draco Malfoy. It was surprisingly easy to find him. He was actually listed in the yellow pages! Not as Draco Malfoy, but as Malfoy Draconian. It was laughable, but also really smart. You see, wizards relied on magic for everything. So, it was hard for them to imagine living without it. The aurors were looking for Draco in the wizarding world, but he had given up magic and they had never thought to check the muggle world for him.

The bar was dark and dingy. Draco sat in a back corner nursing a beer. It was warm inside but he kept on his gray trench coat and beanie. Terri made her way over to his table and took a seat. Draco was staring into his untouched beer. He didn't even bother to look up when she sat down. "You're barking up the wrong tree, sweetheart. I'm not looking for company."

"Good," Terri replied. "You look like you would make terrible company. That's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?" He asked. A smile touched his lips and then disappeared quickly.

Terri paused for a moment and then decided to tell the truth. It wasn't often that she got the chance to be honest in these first meetings. "I'm psychic."

Draco laughed at that and not just a little chuckle. He was bent over holding his stomach in laughter. Tears were even beginning to well up in his eyes, he was laughing so hard. So, she said, "You know, for a wizard, you have a very low tolerance for the supernatural." At the sound of the word wizard, Draco had stopped laughing and was abruptly on his feet.

"Calm down, they're not here. Well, actually I don't know. They might be here, but if they were here they'd probably be at our table by now, wands blazing."

Draco seemed to be of the same opinion, because he once again took his seat. "I thought you said you were a psychic. Can't you _SEE_ them?"

"I see the past, not the future," she replied.

"That sounds like a worthless gift to have," Draco snorted.

"You have no idea," Terri responded with a shake of her head.

"Why are you here?" Draco asked.

Terri then proceeded in explaining how her 'gift' worked and her encounter with Ronald Weasley.

"So, let me get this straight you want me to turn myself in, so that I can make up with Ron Weasley. So, that he can _feel better_ and you can get on with your life?" Draco inquired sarcastically.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. A win, win, win situation. Okay, let's go!" She answered.

"How is this a win, win, win situation? Weasel face gets to feel better, you get to move on with your life, and I'd probably end up in Azkaban. So, please explain to me how I win?" Draco solicited.

"You're running, Draco. Aren't you tired? It's been my experience that people that spend their life running want nothing more than to stop," Terri answered. After pausing a moment, she asked, "What's Azkaban?"

"Jail. I'm going to go to jail," He answered frustrated. "You're like the worst squib ever!"

"What did you just call me?!" Terri asked turning to him, her eyes wide as saucers.

"What? You're not a squib?" Draco asked.

"I don't know what a squid is, but I feel like I should be insulted. It sounds like bad seafood."

Draco chuckled and explained, "A squib is a person born to magical people, but doesn't have magical powers."

"Oh, you mean a KNMP. No, I'm a LMA," Terri clarified, seeing the look on Draco's face made her realize that it was her turn to explain. "KNMP stands for Knowledgeable Non-Magical Persons, while LMA stands for Limited Magical Ability. "

"So, you are a squib," Draco responded.

"LMA," Terri stated while shooting Draco a warning look. "You know, you seem like a decent enough guy, what are you running from?"

"I…" And that was all it took. Guilt, anxiety, despair, and depression hit her all at once. She saw it all; the weight of the burden he carried was overwhelming. The feeling of regret he felt for agreeing to take a job to murder his principle; even though in the end he didn't carry it out, the fear he had to conceal, while living with sociopaths, the atrocities he witnessed that he was powerless to stop, and the constant unending terror of waking up to find his mother or father dead. Throughout his memories, she couldn't see anything that he had done wrong. There were moments of cowardice, but all smart people turn into cowards when facing death.

"Draco, stop talking. I need to process all of this before my head explodes," Terri said while placing her head in her hands.

"You know…" Draco was mortified. He couldn't stand the thought of anyone knowing about what he was or what he did.

He started to get up, but Terri grabbed his arm. "Sit down, Draco."

"I need to go," He started.

"No, you need to sit down and let me tell you the one thing that you need to hear. The one thing that I'm the only person qualified to tell you. Draco, you didn't do anything wrong. You…You survived. You don't need to feel guilty about that. Anybody in your position would have done the exact same thing," Terri explained.

Draco and Terri sat in that dark dingy bar and they talked. In the end, Terri pleaded with Draco to turn himself in. Not for Ron's sake or even for her sake, but for himself. The only thing that Draco was guilty of was being a scared teenager. He didn't deserve the guilt he was carrying or to live the way he was living.

Towards the end of the conversation Draco admitted, "I would. If it was just me, I would, but what about my parents? My father definitely deserves to go to Azkaban, but he's my father and I won't put him there."

"I'm not following, why do you think you'd have to?" Terri asked.

"No one's going to believe me, unless I take _. That's—"

"Truth telling serum. I know," Terri finished waving him on to continue.

"Well, I can't risk that during my interrogation they ask questions about my father. They're not suppose to, but I don't trust them," Draco finished.

A solution presented itself to Terri almost immediately. Terri frowned to herself, she didn't want to do it, but her compulsion was pushing the idea at her and worse she was starting to think of Draco Malfoy as a friend.

"Why do you have your face all scrunched up like that?" Draco asked.

"I might have a solution, but I don't like it. It involves me getting even more engrossed in your world, being around _people, _and consorting with wizards and the likes." Terri huffed.

"Hmm… I like this plan already," Draco interjected.

"Shut up. So, what if I took the truth serum for you? I'm pretty sure, I know everything that they would ask you about and I could give just as good an account as you can. I don't know anything about your family, so I can't tell them anything," Terri proposed.

Draco sat back and thought about that. "What if it doesn't work? What if I go to Azkaban?" He asked quietly.

"Oh Draco, I'm not going to let them take you to jail!" The words were out of Terri mouth before she realized it. What surprised her even more was that she meant it. She wasn't going to let them put him in jail.

"Oh, is a little squib like you going to stop them?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"Yes. I'd stop them," Terri replied.

Draco stared at Terri. He realized that she was serious. She actually thought she could stop them from carrying him off to Azkaban. Then came a memory from what he had started to refer to as the dark times. A man from America had come to report to Lord Voldermort about why the Death Eaters in America were hesitating in taking over the squib communities on the outskirts of the wizarding world. The man had tried to explain that the squibs had power the likes of which he had never seen before and that maybe they should consider a truce. Voldermort had killed him right then and there. Squibs with power? The very idea had been laughable. Now, looking at Terri, Draco realized that the man's report must have been true.

"How?" Draco asked.

Terri smiled. "You have magic and I have science. Don't worry Draco; whether or not justice prevails you will still be free."


	4. Chapter 4

***** I have decided that this story will work better by being set in the present. So please note that I have move the timeline up, so instead of the war taking place in 1998 it happened in 2013 and the current year in the story is 2015 and not 2000. I know that I have not posted in quite sometime and I'm sorry. I plan on resuming posting regularly once again. **

"What do you mean, you lost her?!" Ron yelled. "You had one job, Seamus. Just one. She could have led us straight to him. Go back to headquarters. I want you out of my sight."

Even with Ron's fury pounding at her, Terri couldn't help, but laugh. "Fancy, finding you here. I was wondering when I would see you again."

Ron turned to find Terri stepping out of the shadows. _How had he not realized that she was there? How had she passed through his enchantments undetected? _Seamus was still red-faced from the lecture, Ron had just given him. Technically, he had lost her when he and Neville traded shifts, so actually it was both of their faults. However, somehow Neville had avoided blame and it had all fallen on Seamus's head.

"Don't sulk," Terri said addressing Seamus. "I'm really good at what I do." Terri stared from Ron to Seamus. She noticed that Ron looked really solid. She wondered if it was just the uniform or if he really was as built as he looked. Terri shook her head and tried to focus. That was the last thing that she needed to be thinking about. "Why don't you boys come up? It's cold out here." Ron and Seamus stared at each other; both of them were wondering the same thing. _Is this a trap?_ "You haven't changed your mind have you? Oh bother, and Draco had become so resolved about the whole business. Oh, well."

"Wait… what? What are you saying?" Ron Sputtered.

"Well, I went and had a little tête-à-tête with Draco and we both agreed that it would be for the best if he turned himself in. If I had known your nature was so fickle, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble."

Ron grabbed her by the arm just then, but he didn't speak for several seconds. He was trying to reign in his temper, but she was making that very difficult. He took a deep breath before he asked, "Will you please be serious?"

"No. Not for all the kilts in Scotland," Terri answered as she pried his fingers off her arm, one by one. Terri knew that she should stop baiting him; especially considering that he could hurt her with just a mere word spoken in anger. However, she couldn't help herself. She enjoyed pulling on the tail of this particular red-haired tiger. "Whether you believe me or not, he will be here in about 40 minutes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to pack. You can stay outside if you like. Personally, I'm cold."

Ron was truly puzzled; he didn't know what to make of this strange girl's cryptic talk. _Draco Malfoy turn himself in? Yeah right, when pygmies fly._ Ron ordered Seamus to stay outside and he followed Terri into the apartment building. Terri lived on the first floor, so in no time at all he was standing in her living room. Her walls were painted a bright yellow and trimmed with white. It made the room seem exceptionally bright. There was a bookcase that took up an entire wall and a desk pressed up against the main window. A laptop sat on the desk along with a disarray of notebooks and papers. Ron looked at the desk and shook his head; the woman was a stationary junkie. Ron then turned to peruse the photos on the wall. Most of them were of the girl and an Asian woman with long wavy hair. _Who is she?_ He wondered. _Her girlfriend?_ The woman in the picture was much older than her around fifty. It bothered Ron, the idea of this girl whose name he didn't even know wasting her youth away on someone much older than her. At some point in his fuming he remembered Remus and Tonks. _But that was different,_ he thought. Although, he couldn't think of a reason why it was different.

"Making yourself at home?" Terri asked from her bedroom door. She was carrying her computer case and heading over to her desk.

Ron cleared his throat and asked, "Going somewhere?"

"I'm going with you," Terri answered and then because she was feeling bad about ruffling him up so much she elaborated. "I'm going to level with you and tell you what's going on. I know that my manner can be off putting. You see, I really don't have much experience with social situations. However, I can assure you that everything I've told you is true. Draco is coming here with the intention of turning himself in."

Ron looked at Terri with a look of pure pity in his eyes. Obviously, Malfoy had deceived her. "Look Miss…"

"Terri. Terri Henney," She had cut in. "I know you don't believe me. It's fine, but why don't we just wait and see? Where's the harm in that?"

"Miss Henney, I know you think you know this man, but he can be very manipulative. Why don't you just tell me where the last place you've seen him and we'll take it from there."

Terri hated the condescending tone he used. It was the same tone her brother and parents used whenever she asked about their world. She was even able to recall the words they had said to her over and over again in that moment. _It's magic, Terri, you wouldn't understand._ "I saw him at an English style pub about five blocks from here. It's called the Bull." Before the words were fully out of her mouth, Ron was heading for the door. "Has your way really been working out all that well for you? Why don't you try mine?"

"With all due respect, Miss, if you think that Draco Malfoy is just going to turn himself in then you don't know him very well," Ron stated with sympathy in his voice. He really thought that she had been taken in.

"I know him better than you do," was Terri's reply.

This annoyed Ron to no end. _This girl has no idea what kind of monster, Draco Malfoy, truly is. _"Do you?"

"Yes, she does," Draco answered standing in the doorway with his bags in hand and with Seamus' wand pressing into his neck.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Ron stood there, at first too shocked to speak, but that did not last long. First, his mouth tensed and spread into a thin lipped sneer, and red splotches appeared across his face. Terri knew what was about to come. She hated knowing, because there was nothing she could do to stop it. She placed her laptop on the couch in case she passed out. Nothing was worth her laptop being broken. She hadn't finished the fourth season of Game of Thrones yet and she heard that the final episode of How to get Away with Murder was crazy! There was even a rumor going around that a new season of Sherlock might be in the making. Terri loved TV shows and movies, because it was the only way for her to witness intense bouts of emotions without feeling like she was going to die. It made her feel normal.

"What's your game, Malfoy?" Ron asked looking around suspiciously.

Terri didn't pass out, but she wished she had. Her knees buckled. And she bent over the couch heaving. She was going to be sick. She could feel her stomach turning in angry revolt. The vomit was there and waiting for its moment to come up.

"Stop talking. You're hurting her," Draco said in a quiet voice.

"Oh, is she in on your act too? I'll admit she's quite the little actress!" Ron yelled, his wand drawn. He was ready for an attack to come out from any corner in the room.

"Stop it," Draco shouted his anger finally getting the better of him. _Even Potter isn't this pigheaded._ He stopped talking, however, realizing that he would only be adding to her suffering. Ron didn't stop. He ranted and raved until Terri promptly passed out in her own vomit. Draco was shaking. His anger was a visible aura that surrounded him. He pulled free of Seamus' hold on him and knelt down beside Terri. He carefully lifted her face out of the vomit and placed it in his lap. He used his scarf to wipe the vomit off of her face. "Little fool," he mumbled to himself. Terri had mentioned that she might feel a little faint if a person was really angry.

"Yeah, I might get a little nausea, but it's nothing I can't handle," she had said.

"Nothing, I can't handle," Draco mimicked.

All the blood had drained from Ron's face and for a moment he forgot to be furious. "What happened to her?" He asked looking very unsure of himself.

"You did," Draco said. He was staring at Terri. He didn't know what to do. He had spent almost a year in the muggle world, but he had never been in a situation like this. What did you do if someone fainted? He had seen movies and TV shows, but he had learned the hard way that information from such sources can't be trusted. Draco looked at Seamus and asked, "What should we do?"

Seamus' wand had fallen to his side. He shook his head. He had no idea what to do. He had fought in the war and he was use to the type of injuries that a person could receive on the battlefield, but sickness? That was a different beast entirely.

Ron had been reeling ever since Draco had said that this was his fault. He hadn't done anything. _This could still be a ploy_, he thought. Although if it was a ploy the girl definitely wasn't in on it. There are some things in the world that you just can't fake. Ron stopped to think for a moment before he said, "we'll take her to Hermione." Then Ron proceeded to touch Terri's ankle. Seamus then grasped Malfoy's shoulder.

"Wait," Draco exclaimed. "You can't use magic."

Ron lifted an eyebrow with an expression that seemed to say, 'Oh, really?' Before he proceeded to apparate. Something happened, something he couldn't explain. Ron had been splinched before, but this was different. When he attempted to apparate he felt like he had run into a brick wall; however, he hadn't moved. He couldn't move. He felt like he was being suspended in midair and then without warning he was thrown across the room. He slammed his back against Terri's desk, several of the notebooks and other knick knacks fell to the floor.

"What the hell was that, Malfoy?" Ron yelled as he slowly attempted to get to his feet.

"The only person that could tell us has recently lost consciousness and unless you calm the fuck down, she is likely to stay that way," Draco shot back.

"You're saying she did _this?"_ Ron inquired.

"No, I'm saying you did it. She can't do shit," Draco responded. "I told you not to use magic. You didn't listen."

Ron stood there and stared at Draco. He couldn't figure out what Draco's end game was. Ron was out of his league and he knew it. He looked up at Seamus, whom had let his wand fall to his side. _Idiot._ "Seamus go back to headquarters and bring Granger here. Everyone else is still stay at their current post."

_Oh no, not Hermione,_ Malfoy thought to himself. He was suddenly very conscious of what he was wearing and he wondered how his hair looked. Not that it mattered. _She's probably engaged to this great big red weasel by now._ At that moment, Draco hated Ron. Malfoy knew that it was pointless. Even if Ron wasn't in the picture, Hermione would never go for him. Why would she? He was an asshole. At first, it was because he genuinely disliked her, then it was because he was trying to convince himself he didn't like her, and finally it was because he was trying to hide the fact that he did like her. He was so sure that he was so transparent that he had to overcompensate. _ All of this is pointless,_ he thought to himself. _Why am I rehashing the past like this? I must love to torture myself._ Draco had known that even if they didn't have such a turbulent past they still wouldn't be able to work. He had his family to consider. Sure, his parents were prejudice and small-minded, but he loved them. And since Draco was trying to be honest with himself. He admitted that it wouldn't be easy for him to hurt or disappoint them. He didn't want to hurt them. He just wanted it all, but he had matured enough early on to realize that it wasn't going to happen.

Draco looked down at Terri and pushed her curls out of her face. _The little fool_. He was so glad, he had met her. It had been so long since he entered into a friendship with someone where he didn't have to hide anything from them. In Terri's case he couldn't, but he didn't want to hide anymore. He was sure that at some point it would get annoying, but at the moment it was like a soothing balm working its way past years and years of emptiness.

Two small pops announced the arrival of both Seamus and Hermione. Her hair was pulled back in a bun. A few unruly strands had escaped and where framing her face. Her clothes were a bit rumpled and she had smudges underneath her eyes. Draco drunk in her presence like a man dying of thirst. She was perfect. And he would never tell her that. Someone was talking to him, but he couldn't hear anything. He couldn't focus on anything but her.

"Malfoy!" Ron yelled and it finally penetrated through the fog that was Draco Malfoy's mind.

"What?" Draco asked his voice a bit husky and with a look his face that said that he was still far away.

"Explain to me what's going on," Hermione stated. "What happened to her?"

Draco didn't look at her. He focused on Ron and told her what happened. "You know how some squibs can have some ability, but not enough to qualify as a witch or a wizard. This magical ability can manifest in many different ways and usually it can leave them with one singular ability. Well, Terri is such a person. She has the ability to sense people's emotions through their voice and in extreme cases she can 'see' what caused the emotions in the first place. It's kind of complicated. You should ask her about the particulars. What's important is that negative emotions like anger make her sick; which brings us to where we are now."

The room was quiet for a moment. Each person was caught up in their own thoughts. "So, what do we do?" Draco asked gesturing to Terri. While they were all brooding around she was still unconscious.

"Nothing," Hermione replied. "Her body needs to rest. She'll wake up when her body is ready for her to. Why wasn't Ron able to apparate her out of here?"

"I don't know," Draco lied, still not looking at Hermione.

"You don't know?" Ron asked with a brow raised in disbelief.

"No," Draco replied a bit annoyed. _How dare he not believe my lie!_ He thought. "It was top secret apparently. Squibs only, type of information. No wizards allowed. She doesn't really hold magical people in very high regard."

"This is getting us no where," Hermione stated. Without warning Hermione bent down and touched Terri's leg. Malfoy realized what she was doing just a second too late. His belated "No!" echoed through the room as Hermione was tossed across the threshold in the same fashion as Ron.

Draco had jumped to his feet, when he saw Hermione being suspended in thin air. He had pushed Terri's head off his lap in one swift movement. As a result, Terri's head hit the wooden floorboards with a soft thud. "Oh, shit!" Malfoy exclaimed as Hermione hit the wall. Malfoy didn't know to whom he should direct his attention to. To Terri, who was going to have one hell of a lump on her head when she woke up or Hermione who was just tossed across the room as if she weighed no more than a cloak. Hermione bounced to her feet almost immediately after, so he directed his concern towards Terri. That didn't stop him from yelling, however. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Just testing out how this whole no magic thing works," Hermione stated trying to sound nonchalant.

Draco tried to fight down his temper. "Don't give me that, Hermione!" Draco yelled. "We both know that wasn't the proper method for magical inquiry."

He was right, it wasn't. She had no idea why she had done what she did. It was stupid. And Hermione Granger was a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them. Then she realized quite suddenly what it was. A light had flashed in her mind and she couldn't turn it off. She was jealous. Draco sat there on the floor, not three feet from her and he wouldn't look at her! After everything that had happened, he wouldn't look at her! He wouldn't even acknowledge that she was in the same room as him. So, she did something stupid to get his attention. Hermione was embarrassed now. She just didn't do things like that. _I deserve their scorn,_" Hermione thought to herself. _Draco's and Ron's._ It was at that moment that she realized that Ron hadn't spoken in quite some time. She looked at him then. He looked paler than usual. His freckles stood out boldly against his white skin.

"What do we do with her" Ron asked in a quiet voice.

"She needs rest that's all," Hermione answered in an equally quiet voice. Something had changed. She wasn't quite sure what, but something had definitely changed.

"Seamus arrange for muggle transport."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Ron didn't say anything the entire way back to headquarters. Silent brooding wasn't anything knew to Ron, but this one felt different and for the first time in quite a while Hermione was worried about Ron. Once they reached headquarters, Ron confiscated Draco's wand and placed Draco and Terri in separate rooms. He then performed several enchantments on each room to make sure that Terri and Malfoy couldn't escape. He didn't know whether or not the enchantments would work on Terri though; however, he decided not to worry about that just then. He made a schedule for rotating guards for that night and the next morning. He left Hermione off the list. Then he retired to his office. Luna took the first watch.

Hermione followed Ron to his office. 'I'm too tired for this,' Ron thought to himself. "I'm not putting you on the guard list, Granger. So, if that's why you're here then you can leave."

"That's not the reason I'm here," Hermione started. "Well, it is, but it isn't." Hermione was fumbling. _Why am I here?_ Then it hit her. She was worried about Ron. She was worried about their friendship. The thought had taken her aback. It had been so long since she had even thought of Ron as a friend. These buried feelings were making her uncomfortable. Where did they even come from? Were they the result of them finally capturing Draco Malfoy? Was the resurgence of their childhood nemesis responsible for these new feelings of comradery with Ron? It must be, there was no other explanation for it.

"Ask whatever it is you're going to ask Granger. It's late," Ron stated, his back turned away from her.

"I'm here because of you. You seemed different tonight… I'm worried about you," Hermione said in a rush. _Why am I so nervous? This is just Ron after all._

Ron laughed a laugh full of bitterness. "Sure, that's why you're here. Look, I need to get some sleep. So, why don't you let yourself out, Granger?"

"Stop calling me that!" Hermione yelled in frustration. "It's me, Hermione! Remember, we were friends one. We use to be more than friends. Don't shut me out Ron."

"Like you and Draco were more than friends?" Ron asked finally looking at her. She wished he would stop. He looked so hurt.

Hermione thought about saying nothing happened between her and Draco. However, she didn't know if that was strictly speaking true. Certainly, nothing untoward had happened between them. There had been no kissing, no hand holding, and no words of love. However, there had been the night of the Yule ball, those moments in Malfoy Manor, and thoughts… lots and lots of thoughts. But surely thoughts aren't anything to feel guilty about. _Especially, if you don't act on them right? Right…_

"Ron, there _is_ nothing between me and Draco," Hermione stated feeling slightly guilty. However, then she remembered the guard list and guilt gave way to anger. "Is this why I'm not on the guard list? You think I'm conspiring with him?!"

"Of course not! But that doesn't mean I trust you with him. I saw how you acted when we were at that girl's flat. You were fumbling about like a school girl. Even Malfoy pointed out your reckless behavior. You remember Malfoy right? Your ex-lover? The guy we came to arrest."

"Nothing happened between us Ron," Hermione yelled. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I made a mistake tonight. I know that, but it has been the first mistake I made in the year that we have been working together. The other aurors on our team have made several major mistakes and you haven't benched them."

"Your circumstances are different and you know it," Ron stated taking out a bottle of firewhiskey and one cup.

Hermione took the hint and turned to leave. She wanted to be mad at Ron for taking her off Draco's detail, but she had to admit he had a point. She couldn't be mad at him for that. On the other hand, thinking she had cheated on him with Draco Malfoy, she was pissed off about that. Sure, Draco was hot and Hermione thought about him in the capacity that all young healthy heterosexual women think of hot men, but she never acted on those thoughts! And sure she had had some interactions with Draco that she hadn't told Ron about. Two, to be exact, but those were innocent. _Well, one was questionable on Draco's part, but I'm totally innocent of any wrong doing! Then again we weren't even dating then, so even if Draco and I were necking it up in the Slytherin Common Room, what about it?_ This wasn't productive. Hermione needed to get back on her A-game. She was best agent he had. He needed her and she would make sure he knew it just as well as she did.

Hermione picked up the book she had found on Squibs in America. Surprisingly little was known about them. At least according that particular reference book. Not that the book was completely useless. She found out that squibs in America went through a sort of sponsorship program. If a child did not show potential for _significant _magical ability by the age of 11 that child would be placed into the care of a squib with the intention for the squib to raise the child and help to integrate them into muggle society. The child would be placed with a squib relation if possible. However, all squibs were required to participate in the program so even if you were the only squib in your family you could still end up with a dependent. At first the program was met with outrage and anger; however, eventually the squibs came to not only accepting it, but embracing it. The point of the program was for squibs to help squibs integrate into muggle society. It did not work out that way. Instead squibs started to build their own communities on the cusps of muggle and wizarding societies. In fact America has the largest thriving communities of squibs in the world. In the United Kingdom, there were squibs scattered out in the muggle world and the wizarding world. There was no squib community.

Hermione had noticed that people in the magical world did not talk about squibs all that much and if they did it was in hushed quiet voices. One was left with the feeling that you should feel bad for squibs. It was different for muggles. Muggles did not know that there were witches and wizards out in the world that could do the most amazing things. However, squibs grew up around magic, they had the distinct impression that they too would be able to do those things and then suddenly they realize that that promise was not going to be fulfilled. Generally, that is where the story ended. At least in Hermione's experience that is where the story ended. Now, reading this book about squibs in America Hermione realized that not only did life go on for squibs sometimes they even thrived.

Hermione also learned that squib communities in America did not use the term squib. Instead there were two categorization for what in the United Kingdom would be defined as squib. LMA (pronounced lima) and KNMP (pronounced namp). An LMA was a person that had magical abilities, but not enough to yield a wand, while a KNMP was a person of no magical ability whom had knowledge of the magical world.

That was all the useful information that could be found in that book. There was no information about what went on in these communities. It merely known that they existed. Hermione couldn't fathom why that was. _How hard could it be to conduct a few interviews?_ She reasoned with herself. She couldn't find any information on squib communities in America in relation with the war. In fact, she remember the girl reacting as if she had never even heard of the war when they first met. Hermione had a lot of questions that needed to be answered before she could determine if this girl was friend or foe. Unfortunately they would have to wait.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 When Terri finally awoke it was mid-afternoon. People all over the city were looking at their watches waiting for the work day to be over. My head hurts, her first thought to herself when she woke up was this declaration. Across the room Neville stood up at attention. He didn't really know what to do. Should I go get Ron? Maybe I shouldn't leave her alone? She doesn't look well. What do muggles do when they are sick? Maybe I should ask Seamus, he should know. All of these thoughts raced through Neville's head. He wasn't even close to coming up with an answer when Terri looked up at him.

Terri held her hand up for silence. "Please, don't speak. I don't think I could take one more thing. There is a spell, barrierardum or something like that. My parents and brother used it whenever I was around. It kind of filtered their words, so you know this wouldn't happen. If you would be so kind as to get Red, we can get started." Neville rushed out of the room so quickly that she didn't get a chance to ask for a cup of water or preferably the Nile River, she was thirsty. Her tongue felt heavy and the dry discomfort of her throat gave her the distinct impression that her mouth was filled with cotton balls. Terri had never had the flu she was not prone to getting sick like a normal person; however, she imagined that this is what it would feel like to have the flu. Neville seemed out of sorts when he came into Ron's office. All of the information started spilling from him in no particular order. Ron absorbed the information and then told Neville to get Hermione. "What are you going to do?" Neville asked.  
"I'm going to have Hermione perform the barrierardum charm and then I am going to question her," Ron replied.  
"What if it's a trap?" Neville asked.  
"Everything she does maybe a trap. This is the best course of action we could take and she knows that. Given what happened yesterday she knows that I wouldn't question her without some type of filter. Besides I know that charm. It's a pretty useless defense charm, and I remember reading about how it can distort the sound of your voice as if there was an actually barrier between you and your opponent." Ron answered. At that moment, Hermione walked out into the hall and was heading towards the kitchen. "Granger, I need you." Ron had done a lot of thinking the night before and for the life of him he couldn't think of when Hermione and Draco could have been friends let alone more! However, he knew that he didn't imagine yesterday. They must've been acting at some point pretending to hate each other, when it was actually love that fueled the fire behind their eyes. Ron shook his head, he had to stop thinking about it. "I need you to construct a barrierardum charm, so that I can question Miss Henney."  
Hermione knew why Ron wanted her to do it. Her nonverbal spells were stronger than anyone else that she knew. Hermione knew an opportunity when she saw one. "Only if I can stay during the questioning," Hermione stated her chin poking out defiantly.  
"Of course you can stay during the questioning," Ron answered and because he couldn't help himself he added, "It's not like Draco will be there."  
Hermione wanted to hit him, but she didn't. You can hit your friends, but not your superiors. I should quit, Hermione jumped back at the thought. It was the first time she had thought those words and she was surprised at how right they felt. They didn't appreciate her in the Ministry of Magic and well truth be told no one in the magical world really seemed to appreciate her all that much. Hermione told the truth, even when people didn't want to hear it, especially when people didn't want to hear it. Time and time again she was proven right and promptly cleaned up the messes that could have easy been avoid if people just listen to her in the first place. No one ever acknowledge that she was right and no one had ever said thank you. If she had pointed these things out herself, people called her a show off and a know it all. What was the use of being 'the brightest witch' of her age if she was working under someone that had half her skills and talents? Hermione decided to finish out this assignment and to talk to Kingsley before making her decision. Two things were certain for her though she would not continue to work in an organization that overlooked her accomplishments and she would not work under Ron anymore.  
"Earth to Granger! Are you ready?" Ron asked it was clear that he had been waiting for a while.  
"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's do this," she replied.  
"Are you okay?" Ron asked.  
For a moment, Hermione thought she heard genuine concern in his voice, but then she dismissed the thought. Impossible. "Yes, I'm fine." Ron looked puzzled for a second then nodded and headed down to the room where Terri was being held. Ron entered her room first. He wasn't wearing his uniform, so it was clear to her that he really was as muscular as he seemed. Get your mind out of the gutter, Terri! She scolded herself. Then the girl with the wavy hair entered. Good, I'll focus on her. Hermione raised her wand as she was beginning to work on an enchantment. "Wait!" Terri croaked out. Hermione paused and lifted her brow questioningly. "Would you please give me some water?" Hermione nodded and a few seconds later a pitcher of water and a glass floated into the room. Terri was tempted to ask, what? No ice? But she realized her humor might not be appreciate at the moment. The pitcher of water and glass settled themselves on the nightstand beside her. Hermione waited to see if there was anything else before beginning. "Okay, I'm ready," Terri stated.  
Hermione once again lifted her wand and began constructing the barrierardum charm. Terri drank a glass and a half of water as she watched Herimione as she performed the charm, she looked utterly relaxed and the look in her eyes were that of a person that was faraway. The waving of her wand was precise. Often when she would watch her brother do magic it seemed like he was flinging his wand all over the place. He insisted that there were precise movements that go with each spell, but until that moment Terri hadn't believed him. When Hermione had finished the charm an invisible wall to wall and from floor to ceiling cover the entire length of the room stood between herself and Hermione and Ron. The wall wasn't completely undetectable, it made whatever was on the other side seem a bit blurry and when a person spoke it was like you were hearing their echo and not them at all. Ron and Hermione had brought two chairs and were sitting in front of her. Ron's legs were spread apart, his elbows rested on top of them and his two index fingers were pressed against his lips. He had a very solemn expression on his face. She wondered if he was having trouble figuring out how to begin. She didn't try to break the silence. Terri had grown up in a world where spoken words plunged her world into chaos. Terri was comfortable in silence. Silence never required anything of her.  
"I'm sorry," Ron began his words echoed through the room and caught both Hermione and Terri off guard. Terri didn't expect Ron to apologize everything she knew about him said that those words didn't come easily for him. She realized that he was feeling guilty. I must really look like crap. "It's fine. You don't have to apologize."  
"No, it's not fine and I do," Ron insisted. "I may not have known when I started, but the signs were there and I was too caught up in my own anger to pay attention to them. I'm sorry, that will never happen again."  
Terri was quiet for a spell. She looked in Ron's earnest face and she realized that no one had ever apologized to her before. No one had ever taken responsibility for how their emotions might effect her. Terri didn't know what to say, so she simply said thank you. "Okay," Ron said clearing his throat. He had turned slightly red and seemed a little uncomfortable. "I understand that you are here to be of some kind of assistance to Draco Malfoy. I would like you to begin by sharing the nature of your relationship with Mr. Malfoy. How you met, how you intend to help him and so forth."  
Terri nodded and wonder if Ron was always so serious. "Should I state my name and address for the record?" Terri asked and seeing that her joke fell flat continued with, "I met Draco the same day I met you, which was…yesterday? It was yesterday right?" Ron nodded and she proceeded. "I assume that Draco has explained at least in part how my…gift (for lack of a better word) works. Your emotions towards Draco were so strong that I was able to see your relationship with Draco. When I see the cause of an emotion I have to get involved in order to restore balance."  
"Excuse me," Hermione interrupted. "What you're saying is that prior to encountering us you had no knowledge of Draco's whereabouts?" Terri nodded the affirmative. "Well, then how did you find him?"  
Terri smiled to herself. "The yellow pages. The yellow pages are…"  
"I know what the yellow pages are," Hermione stated slightly annoyed. How could I have missed that.  
"Uh… I don't," Ron stated "The yellow pages are a kind of directory that list people's phone number. It's pretty archaic when you think about it. I didn't really think I'd find him there. I mean who in this day and age has a landline? Oh… never mind. Once I had has number it was easy to find his address. He had stayed at this really swanky apartment building. I mean he had a doorman and everything! He wasn't there, but the concierge told me about a pub he frequents and voila there he was."  
"Wait a minute, you mean that you went searching for a known war criminal by yourself?!" Ron asked his expression was one of utter disbelief.  
"Alleged war criminal," Terri corrected. Ron shook his head, but didn't say anything. "Besides you don't know what it's like…"  
Ron and Hermione waited for Terri to continue but she didn't. "So, what happened when you saw Draco at the bar?" Hermione asked breaking the silence "We talked, I convinced him to turn himself in. It wasn't all that hard. It was on a condition that I testify and confirm his version of events."  
"Why should anyone believe you?" Ron asked.  
"I'll take that truth telling serum stuff," Terri answered.  
"I thought that magic doesn't work on you? Why would a potion? And why doesn't Draco take it himself?" Hermione asked.  
Terri laughed and a smile touch her lips, when she answered. "I don't naturally repel magic! That would be something, wouldn't it? As for why I'm taking it and not Draco, Draco thinks that the Ministry of Magic would try asking questions about the whereabouts of his parents while he was under the potions influence. "  
"He should tell us where his parents are," Ron begun.  
"But he won't. There is a limit to what you ask of a person, Mr. Weasley," Terri stated cutting across Ron's statement.  
"Wait, so you're saying that your ability to ward off magic is because of something you do or something you wear?" Hermione asked.  
It took everything within Terri not to burst out in laughter. Hermione had obviously noted the abundance of bracelets, necklaces, and rings Terri wore and decided that one of them must be some kind of magic pendant. "Something like that," Terri answered all the while she was thinking, not even close.  
"So, can we see?" Hermione asked. Ron expected Terri to say no. It felt to him like a violation to subject her to magic. She surprised him by saying, "you'll have to wait three days." When Hermione gave her a look that seemed to ask why. She added, "It's not like taking off a pair of shoes." 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The real reason that they would have to wait three days before they could perform magic on Terri is because the medicine she had taken to give her immunity wouldn't wear off until then. The squib community in America realized rather quickly the disadvantage they were in. The magical community had decided what was best for them was to banish them to the muggle without so much as a consult. And to add insult to injury, they had to constantly be ready because a child could be drop in their lap at any moment. The squibs in America went into the hard sciences. Chemistry, physics, molecular biology, engineering to name a few. They were determined that the magical community lose its hold on them. It took fifteen long years, but they did it. Magocin! A small pink tablet that made a person completely resistant to magical influence. The best defense is a good offense. A person only had to take it once a week. Magocin was not the only accomplished made by the American squib community, but it was the most celebrated. Magocin made it neccessary for the magical community in America to make decisions with them instead of for them.

Terri sat in the room. She was bored. _Did they bring my stuff_? She pondered. The room didn't have a TV or books, the walls were bare and painted white, and there was a nightstand next to the bed that was it. _What do they expect me to do in here?_ Terri wondered standing up to pacing back and forth. At that moment Ron entered carrying a tray. He looked at Terri surprised, but he didn't say anything. He sat the tray of food on the nightstand and stood there as if he wasn't completely sure what he should do next. Terri noticed that he had a changed his clothes. He was wearing muggle clothes just then, jeans and a navy blue polo. He looked nice, the blue looked good against his skin.

"You can talk to me, Mr. Weasley. I'm not an invalid," Terri said with a smile and then she added, "It's okay. You won't hurt me."

Ron didn't look quite so convinced, but he cleared his throat and stated, "I don't think you're suppose to be up like this. Your body went through a bit of a shock yesterday."

Terri smiled. He was concerned about her. "You're probably right, but I was going a little stir crazy in this room. There's nothing to read, no one to talk to, nothing to look at… I just needed to DO something."

"Oh, I didn't realize," Ron stated. He turned a little red. "Well you have a lovely view of a brick wall. I'm sure that it could keep you occupied."

"Oh, yes," Terri agreed. "Hours of fun." Terri made her way back to the bed and sat down. She patted the seat next to her. Ron hesitated and then sat down too. Terri was nervous all of a sudden. She hadn't expected that. Ron was sitting very close to her the hairs on their arms were almost touching. He smelled nice, like spices. She had a deep desire to lean against his shoulder and inhale. She ignored it though, because it was a weird urge and would probably freak him out.

Ron first urge after sitting down was to leave the room immediately. He felt the flutter of butterflies in his stomach and stared down at her soft curly hair. She probably hadn't thought about her hair in a while. It was tangled and a bit matted, but he wanted to touch it. He wanted to hold her and run his fingers through it. _I can't let myself get emotionally compromised,_ Ron repeated to himself. It took him by surprise these feelings of tenderness.

"How's Draco?" Terri asked. She realized that she had not seen Draco or heard about him in quite some time. She felt contrite. _What kind of friend am I?_

Ron felt a surge of anger. He was reminded of all the things Terri was doing for Draco, the risks she had taken for Draco. Ron didn't like the hold that Draco seemed to have on the women that he cared about. Ron didn't trust himself to speak, especially after what happened yesterday. He simply pointed at the wall.

"The next room?" Terri asked. Ron nodded. "You know, you have to forgive him. Not for him, but for you. He doesn't care that you hate him. It doesn't keep him up at night or affect him in anyway. However, you will pay for this anger your holding onto. Negative emotions, they… make you sick. I don't how to explain it, but they eat away at you." Terri paused. That was really all she had to say on the matter, but she was reluctant to end in the conversation. "It takes longer for people like you. _Normal_ people get chronic headaches, high blood pressure, tense muscles. You know stuff like that." Ron raised his eyebrow at Terri's use of the word normal, but he still didn't say anything. "You can talk! I won't wilt. Yesterday, was the exception not the rule. I was already on overload from talking to you and Draco earlier. On top of that, you get angry whenever Draco's in the room, then you were already stressed from work and things in your personal life next thing you know bam!"

Ron still didn't trust himself to speak. He would reveal too much. Too much of everything. Truths that he wasn't even ready to face himself. Ron nodded and made a bunch of vague hand signals that he hoped she would interpret as him going to talk to Draco. Terri sighed. She knew why Ron was refusing to talk to her right now. At one point or another people close to her have always done it. She tried not to take it personally. People are allowed to have their secrets. The fact that Ron was shutting her out did bother her though. It like he was hiding from her. Ron nodded and left the room. Terri wondered how they got to where they were. They were joking and laughing when he first entered the room and now the silence seemed impenetrable.

Draco sat on the floor directly across from the door. One of legs laid stretched out while the other was pulled up against his chest his arm draped across it and his head laid pressed against the wall. He stared at the door as if he could make it open by sheer power of will. He hadn't heard from anyone since last night. At around 10 am someone slid in a tray of food and firmly shut the door before he could see who it was or ask any questions. Being a prisoner was a new experience for Draco. He didn't think it would be, after all Lord Voldermort had basically used his house as the base of operation during his reign of terror. His entire family were virtually prisoners in their own home then. Well, all except Bellatrix. They always had to come back because they knew the lives of one of their love ones would hang in the balance. This was different. He couldn't leave this room and didn't know what was going on. It was enough to make him crazy.

That was how Ron found him, sitting on the floor and staring straight ahead. He had dark smudge under his eyes and his clothes were crumpled from being worn for two days straight. "I take it you didn't sleep well," Ron stated.

Draco stared at Ron. "I haven't slept at all. How's Terri?"

"She's fine. She awake now," Ron answered running his hand up his arm. He wasn't cold, he just needed to do something with himself.

"When do we leave?" Draco inquired.

"On Friday," Ron replied.

Draco was surprised he expected them to leave immediately. Friday, that was a five day delay. Also, he didn't think that the ministry of magic would wait that long for him. He was a Malfoy after all. They would prefer his father, but he was sure he would do if he was the only one that they could get their hands on.

Ron had the impulse to explain, but he decided against it. He didn't need to explain himself to the likes of Draco Malfoy. The reason they were waiting so long was because of Terri. Hermione wanted test out how magic would influence her before they left, especially since they would be travelling using magic. Terri had said three days, but Ron wanted to wait four days just in case. Ron stared at Draco. Why did Draco make him so angry? It was a question that he had never asked himself before. Hating Draco just seemed natural. Why? Then he understood, Draco personified for him everything that was wrong with the Wizarding world. It was because of people like Draco that Voldermort was able to come into power, it was people like Draco that gave Voldermort his ideology of hate in the first place. However, Draco had changed. He had given up magic and lived in the muggle world. He was showing concern and compassion for a muggle girl. He no longer represented the things that had fueled Ron's dislike of him. _So, why do I still hate him?_ Hermione. The answer was obvious to him. He couldn't let his anger go until he knew what had happed between Hermione and Draco.

"Weasley, you're starting freak me out. Why are you here?" Draco asked.

Ron cleared his throat. _ Here goes nothing._ "I need to make inquires about your relationship with Auror Hermione Granger." Ron stated in most official voice.

Draco was confused and it showed. "Relationship… with Hermione? Are you mental Weasley?"

"No. Which is why I noticed that you call her Hermione and not Granger. That in itself suggest a level of intimacy that you previously did not share," Ron replied.

"I do not have nor have I ever had a relationship with Hermione," Draco stated. He hoped he had not gotten Hermione in trouble. "The intimacy that you suggest is there is probably the result of what happened at Malfoy Manor towards the end of war."

"Please be specific," Ron indicated.

"Do you remember the day that your lot was captured by trappers and brought to my home? Potter's face was a mess and you had the sword of Gryfindor with you." Draco waited for Ron to nod before continuing. "My aunt Bellatrix tortured Hermione in order to get information about how you had gotten the sword. At least she thought she was. My godfather, Severus Snape had taught me both legilimency and occlumency the summer before we started our fourth year. I am very adept at them. I had entered Hermione's mind and helped to block out most of the pain. Entering someone's mind while they are aware of it creates a sort of, as you said, intimacy between them," Draco finished.

Ron nodded and left the room. He felt like an idiot. A complete idiot. His only excuse was that he was jealous, but that really wasn't much of an excuse since he and Hermione weren't together nor did he want them to be together. He needed to find Hermione. He needed to apologize. He felt like such an ass.


	9. Chapter 9

Ron postponed his talk with Hermione till the morning, and then the next day and the next. He never actually got around to it. He simply put her name on the guard rotation list and hoped that the act said more than he did. He hoped it said that he was wrong and that he was sorry. Ron couldn't bring himself to say these things to Hermione's face though. He started to, the morning after his talk with Draco, he sat down at the kitchen table across from her. She was sipping her tea and writing a letter. He remembered a time when she didn't do that, but these days she was often seen working through her meals. All of a sudden the space between them seemed insurmountable.

"Why are you staring at me?" Hermione asked finally looking up from her letter.

Ron had planned to say many things, but what had come out his mouth was, "You will be relieving Neville from his morning shift."

Hermione stared at Ron. She realized that was as close to an apology that she was going to get. _It's too late, we're past that now_, she thought to herself. However to Ron, she merely nodded and went back to her letter. She was writing to the LMA/KNMP Relations Secretary in America. She had no idea such a position existed and had stumbled upon it back accident while looking for information. She felt like the more she search the less information seemed available; which made no sense. She was hitting brick walls at every turn. She was no longer looking for information that would help them on their current case. Now, she just needed to know what was out there and why was it so heavily guarded.

Ron left the table, he could see that Hermione's mind was now on other things. He felt like a coward. He decided to bring Terri and Draco their breakfast. He simply slid Draco's food into his room. He didn't really feel up to looking at him. However, when he came upon Terri's door he knocked. When he entered Terri's room he found her running in place. She raised her knees up until they reached her chest and then let them fall silently to the floor. Her hair was now in medium sized twists and pulled back into a bun. She was wearing work out pants and a tank top. Ron had asked Luna to bring both Terri and Draco their luggage. They kept Draco's wand and gave them everything else. Both Hermione and Seamus were against the idea. Particularly about giving Terri back her things. Hermione pointed out that they should at the very least check the bags and make sure there weren't any weapons. Ron let her search the bags, he didn't think she would find anything and she didn't. Seamus, however, remained unconvinced. There were too many unknowns surrounding Terri and that made him paranoid. Paranoia made him dangerous.

Terri stopped running when Ron entered the room. She leaned forward, placed her hands on her knees and took deep breaths. She had been at it for a while; a light layer of sweat glistened on her forehead. "Good morning!" Terri greeted Ron. Terri was always in a good mood after working out. Terri walked off to the "secret passage way" that lead to the bathroom. You headed towards the closet and once there you made a sharp left turn and BAM! There it was. It was great! Terri went into the bathroom splashed water on her face and came back out.

Ron didn't know exactly why he was there. He did know that he wanted to see her. He wanted to be in her presence. He watched Terri emerge from the bathroom towel still in her hand wiping the remaining drops of water off her chin. He cleared his throat, "I brought you breakfast."

"I can see that. Thank you," Terri said with a smile. Ron sat the tray on her nightstand like he done the night before. "Will you stay with me? I hate to eat alone." That wasn't true. Terri didn't mind eating alone. She didn't mind doing anything alone. She was by nature a hermit; however, she wanted Ron to stay. She knew what she was risking. She knew that she could end really falling for Ron and that in the end she wouldn't be able to keep him. Ron was too passionate. He wore his emotions on his sleeve. Terri figured that there was absolutely no way she could survive all his ups and downs. Actually, Terri didn't think she could survive a relationship with anyone. So, why not save up a few good memories of a red haired boy that smelled of spices that could comfort her in her old age?

"You changed your hair," Ron begun. He felt the need to talk. It was as if he wasn't quite sure how to interact with a person anymore.

'Yeah," Terri confirmed running her hands over her twists. "Which reminds you are a terrible friend! You actually let me walk around looking like a troll."

Ron looked at Terri confused. "Trolls don't have hair."

Terri held up her hand for silence. "Don't ruin my image of trolls as ugly-cute tiny creatures with colorful hair and gems for belly buttons."

"What does ugly-cute even mean?" Ron asked.

"Fine. How about unconventionally cute?" Terri countered.

"Okay, but what's conventionally cute?" Ron retorted.

Terri sat back for a moment to think about what 'conventionally cute' means. "Conventionally cute is a labradoodle puppy."

"Labradoodle is not a real word," Ron declared.

"Oh, like 'squib' is a real word," Terri retorted placing air quotations around squib. "Labradoodle are actually a real thing, Mr. Know it all. You can google it."

"Google? You just keep making things up don't you," Ron said with a smile.

Terri crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Where would we, poor muggles, be without google? Do you know how many papers would go unwritten! Also, muggles is not a real word. Seriously, you wizarding folk need to learn how to talk like adults." Terri did her best impression of a proper adult.

"You like the way we talk admit it," Ron said with a smile.

Terri liked the way he talked, but she wasn't going to admit that.

"But I digress," Ron stated placing a hand over his heart and shaking his head. "What are a labradoodle and google?"

"Labradoodles are dogs. They are mixed breed, half Labrador and half poodle. They are, in fact, as cute as they sound. Google is the best invention since sliced bread. It's a search engine where you look up information. Google knows _everything_. There are other search engines, of course, but who use them? Well, I do go to Bing some times to look at the pictures. Bing has pretty pictures."

Before Ron got the chance to ask Terri what a search engine was Hermione entered the room. She didn't knock and that drove Terri up the wall, although she didn't let it show. Privacy had always been of great importance to Terri. She hated when people busted into her room bring their _emotions _with them. Hermione didn't say anything she frowned nodded and left the room. The atmosphere was different it was as if all the easygoing comradery left the room with Hermione.

"What was that about?" Terri asked more to herself than to Ron.

Ron stood up and mumbled a quick, "I should go," before rushing out of the room.

Guilt. Ron felt guilty. Terri knew that much for sure, but guilty about what? It wasn't that hard to figure out. Hermione walked in the room and he rushes out swamped in guilt. _Could they be together?_


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione paced the hall. She checked on Terri it only made sense that she would check on Draco too. _Right?_ She wanted to see him and that is exactly why she has put off seeing him. The last time they were in a room together she blundered about like a teenager! She didn't even blunder about when she was a teenager. _This is silly. I'm guarding him at the very least I need to make sure he's breathing._ With that thought Hermione opened the door. Draco was lying on his bed, he seemed to be drenched in the golden sunlight like Zeus was smiling down on him from Mount Olympus. He was wearing muggle clothes again. He appeared to quite taken with them. He was wearing dark jeans with a black v neck shirt. Very casual. Still he looked like he belonged on the cover of Vogue. He was reading a book, Hermione wondered what it was, but she didn't have to for long.

"Have you read this?" Tom asked looking up. He held up the book, so that she could see it.

He was reading _The Talented Mr. Ripley_ by Patricia Highsmith. "I've heard of it." Hermione hadn't read fiction in years. _It must be nice to be able to lose yourself in another world._

"Well, don't. This guy, Tom Ripley is supposed to be charming, but he's a bit of a creeper. No, I take that back. He is a creeper and a terrible con artist too," Draco declared. "Sorry, you didn't come here for my opinion on Tom Ripley."

"I just came to check on you and make sure you're comfortable," Hermione clarified.

"This is by far the most comfortable prison that I have ever been in and I've been held prisoner in my own home before," Draco said with a smile.

"Right," Hermione said fidgeting nervously. "I guess I'll be off then…"

"Actually, if you could spare a moment I have a few questions," Draco stated sitting up. "Information is kind of hard to get around here."

"Of course," Hermione stated her voice a bit too high for her liking.

Draco really didn't have all that many questions. The future looked bleak from where he was sitting and he'd rather not know too much about it. "Um…well, I heard that we're not leaving till Friday, but I'm not sure why." That wasn't true. He had already guessed that Terri was the reason they weren't leaving till Friday, because he wasn't a complete idiot.

"Your friend, Miss Henney created quite a few complication, we expect that everything should be ironed out by Friday," Hermione stated in a very business-like tone. Hermione didn't like to be reminded of Draco's relationship with Terri. She was jealous and she was honest enough with herself to admit. She knew that she could never have the type of relationship she wanted with Draco, but knowing didn't stop her from wanting.

Draco didn't mind her clipped tone of voice. She was the first person to talk to him, _really talk to him_, in days. When he opened his mouth he meant to say something sensible like thank you or that makes sense, instead he said, "You look beautiful." Draco immediately turned red. He couldn't take his words back. They were there between them.

"Oh," was all Hermione managed to say. She looked down at her frayed robe and battered boots. She felt the loose mess of hair that was suppose to be pulled back into a bun and decided that Draco Malfoy must be joking. "Right then. Good day." Hermione said before leaving the room.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Draco repeated slamming his book into the pillow. "I'm worse than Tom Ripley."

Terri paced the floor. No matter how many times she told herself she was not going to think about Ron and Hermione she still ended up thinking about Ron and Hermione. _Maybe they're not a couple. I've jumped to conclusions before. Besides there's nothing wrong with enjoying a guy's company, right? Right? Wrong. You were flirting with a guy that probably has a girlfriend? That's bad Terri! I need to stop talking to myself. It's not normal. Since when have you ever been normal? Yep, I'm definitely crazy,_ Terri thought as collapse in her desk chair. She needed to find out. Somehow, she couldn't see herself asking Ron or Hermione if they were an item. _Draco would know._ She made up her mind then that she would. Terri knew that she could go to Draco and talk about this, talk about anything really. She hadn't been that sure of someone since her aunt had died.

Linda Jiang wasn't actually Terri's aunt. She just so happened to be the next name on the list when it came time to placing Terri in a squib home. Wizards did not pay too much attention to the aspects of muggle society that did not concern them, so they did not know what a curious sight Terri and Linda made together. Terri and Linda came up with a story to explain why a single Asian woman was guardian to a preteen Black girl. They told everyone that Linda was close friends with Terri's parents whom died in a car accident. Terri had no living relatives, so Linda took her in. No one asked too many questions after that. Tragedy tends to do that to people. In some strange twist of fate, Linda ended up dying in a car accident on Terri's 18th birthday. Linda, for the short time that they were together, had encompassed Terri's whole world. She was her guardian, best friend and mentor. And now she was gone. During times like these, Terri felt her absence even more, because the first thing she wanted to do was to talk about it. However that option was closed and it was closed forever.

Terri laid down across her bed, her arm draped across her eyes as she tried to fight back the tears. She couldn't even be frustrated about a boy without grieving her aunt's death. People said that it gets easier, but when? When does it stop hurting? It's been a year and she has moments when she turns tell her aunt something and then she realizes she's not there and that she would never be there. Terri stayed like that all afternoon. She didn't move when Hermione brought her lunch. When Ron entered her room to bring her dinner that evening he found her in the same position her lunch untouched. Ron placed her tray of food on her nightstand next to her lunch.

"Are you alright?" He asked. His brows were knit in genuine concern.

Terri looked at him and she didn't want his comfort. More anything she wanted to be around a friend whose friendship didn't come with complications. She looked, Ron in the eye and asked for the thing she really needed, "can I see Draco?"

She had hurt Ron. She knew that she did. She could see it in the way his expression closed and became guarded, but he gave her what she wanted. He couldn't look at her in the state she was in and deny her something she needed. "Yes, of course you can… Why don't you eat dinner first and I'll take you over?"

"I'm not hungry…" She begun.

"You didn't eat lunch. Please just a little for me," Ron requested and for him she tried.

She ate the stew without really tasting it. It looked thick and hearty. She probably would have enjoyed under different. She ripped off a small piece of bread and chewed it slowly. The room was so quiet that the ticking of the clock on the desk seemed overly loud. "Who made the stew?" she asked just to make conversation the silence was becoming unbearable.

"I did," Ron replied. "During the war, I found myself on my own with two of my mates and none of us could boil water without starting a fire. I really like food, so those few months were horrible. I had to make sure I'd never find myself in a situation again. So, I asked my mom to teach me to cook. She teaches me a new dish every time I come home."

"She must really like that," Terri responded.

"I don't know about that. I know I do. Growing up… Well, there were a lot of us." Ron stated a faint red glow creepy up his neck. Ron looked at Terri his expression once again growing concerned, "Terri, won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Have you ever lost someone you love?" Terri asked.

"Yes," Ron whispered. "My brother."

"Does it ever stop hurting?" Terri probed.

"I don't know. I hope so. He wouldn't like it if he knew that I cry when I think about him," Ron replied. Terri nodded and they sat in silence for a while. "Are you finished?" Ron asked.

Terri had stopped eating and had begun subconsciously shredding her bread with her fingers. She looked down embarrassed and nodded yes. Ron eyed her bowl she had only eaten about a third of the stew, but he guessed that was enough. He wanted to ask her who she had lost, but he didn't, because what he wanted most of all for her to want his comfort when she was upset. However, she didn't ask for him. She had asked for Draco. _What's so special about that guy?_ Ron stood up and led her to Draco's room.

Draco was sitting on the bed legs crossed in front of him with his laptop open and headphones in. He looked up when they walked into the room and immediately he could tell that something was wrong. "Terri, what's…" before could finish Terri was in his arms crying a deep cry from the bottom of her gut. He didn't ask her to tell him what was wrong or to stop crying. He didn't say anything at all. He just held her. Ron left the room quietly closing the door behind him.

"Is there a way to talk to them...To the dead?" Terri asked.

"No. They're gone. Some people stay behind, but most go on. If your aunt had stayed you'd know," Draco answered.

…

"How would I know?" Terri questioned.

"It's hard to say… You wouldn't be able to see her or anything, but you would feel her presence. You'd feel unsettled… Like a task that's suppose to be complete isn't. It would be a sort of nagging feeling. At least that is what I have read. It's not suppose to be a very pleasant feeling. And you wouldn't be able to speak to her in any case. Generally, it's just a feeling of unease," Draco explained. "Besides, you knew your aunt better than anyone. I think deep down you know what she would say. You know what her advice would. The question then becomes do you follow it."

Terri did know what her aunt advice would be. It would be to address the issue head on and just to ask him. "Yeah, I'm going to do that. Great advice, but not."

Draco looked at her and laughed. "Are you being a coward?"

"When did self-preservation become a bad thing?" Terri countered.

"Are you at least going to tell me?" Draco asked.

Terri sat back and stared straight ahead for a moment. "I like Ron," she stated.

Draco sat up and looked at her. "That's disgusting. Seriously? The red haired weasel?"

Terri ignored his comments. "Is he…"

"With Hermione. Yeah," Draco answered. "I like Hermione."

"Well, aren't we a sad pair," Terri stated.

"Isn't this the part where we pledge to marry each other in ten years if we are still single and what not?" Draco inquired.

"Gross. No," Terri answered.

"Good," Draco said with a smile. "I could never consent to playing second fiddled to Ron Weasley."

They passed the night that way. Joking and laughing. Neither of their heartaches far from their thoughts, but they took comfort in each other's presence. And most of all they were glad they had a friend.


End file.
